Internal combustion engine



May 31, 1938. J. A. LITZ LER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 3 Sheets sheet 1 5 sheets sheet 2 J.A.UTZLER Filed Dec. 28, 1936 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE May 31, 1938.

Fil e d Dec. 28, 1956 H3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved internal combustion engine of the four cycle type, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide an engine of the above kind which is eco- 6 nomical toproduce and operate, as well as efiicient and powerful in operation.

More particularly, the present invention contemplates the provision of an engine of the above kind having novel and eilicient means for controllably supplying additional air to the cylinders of the engine during completion of the intake strokes of the pistons in such cylinders, and for permitting partial exhaust of the products of combustion and consequent partial release of 5 pressure from said cylinders at the completion of the power strokes of said pistons. In this way, I provide for maximum power output and economical consumption of fuel, as well as relieving the conventional exhaust valves of much of their work and more nearly scavenging the cylinders.

A further and more specificobject of the present invention is to provide simple and efficient means for controlling the passage of additional air to the engine cylinders and partial exhaust of products of combustion from said cylinders,

so that the engine will operate at lower speeds only on the normal fuel supply and exhaust under control of the usual intake and exhaust valves, but will operate at the higher speeds where the efliciency of an engine normally drops, with the charges supplemented by additional air and the exhaust pressure partially relieved by said controlling means. a

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for controlling the supply of additional air and partial exhaust of products of combustionto and from the engine cylinders, respectively, such improved means embodying a rotary valve, and an oscillating sleeve valve controlling communication with the engine cylinders through said rotary valve and operatively connected with the usual throttle valve which controls the volume of fuel supplied to the cylinders for varying the speed of the engine.

A more general object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve mechanism for internal combustion engines embodying a rotary cylindrical valve, and a manually operable oscil-' lating sleeve .valve for controlling communication with the engine cylinders through said rotary valve and in which the rotary valve is journaled.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide thermostatic means for controlling the supply of air to the means for controlling the passage of additional air-to the-engine cylinders, such thermostatic means being responsive to the heat of the engine cylinders so that the additional air will be supplied tothe cylinders only after the latter have attained a predetermined temperature or heated condition. In this way, emcient starting and operation of the engine until heated up is insured before the additional air may be supplied to the cylinders.

With the above general objects in view, and 1 others that will become apparent as the nature 10* of the invention is better understood, such in vention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and claimed. 15

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of an internal combustion engine embodying the present invention, partly in vertical transverse section, and partly in elevation.

Figure 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic top plan view of the engine shown in'Figure 1, drawn on a smaller scale and with parts omitted forsake of clearness.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section, illustrating the gearing between the driven shaft and the rotary valve of Figure 1.

Figure'4 is an enlarged central longitudinal section taken through the rotary valve and the oscillating sleeve valvein which said rotary valve is fitted.

Figure5'is a transverse section'on line 55 of Figure 4; and Figures 6, '7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views,

illustrating different positions of the valves and pistons with respect to each cylinder of the engine when the latter is in operation.

The engine illustrated has four cylinders 5 in each of which is fitted a piston 6 connected by a rod 1 with a crank shaft 8 in the usual man- 40? her. Intake and exhaust valves 9 and Ill re spectively are located at or near the outer end of each cylinder, each valve being normally seated 'by a spring H and unseate'd at predetermined ter being carried by one'end of a shaft ll extending transversely of the engine and geared at the other end to the camshaft l3 as at l8.

Each cylinder 5 has one or more'ports l9 arranged to be uncovered on the inside of "the cylinder by the piston 6 of said cylinder and" at 55:

2 r the end time instroke of'said piston. r e peas l9 are controlled on the outside by a rotary valve 2i! and an oscillating sleeve valve '2| common to' all cylinders, thevalve '26 being rotatably fitted 30: V c l Assuming that the engine is not running and cold, the fuel throttle valve"25, sleeve-valve'fl,

in the valve 2|, and the valve 2| being rotatably fitted in a cylindrical valve casing 22. The valve is gearedby a two -to-one'gearing at 2 3 to and driven by shaft n, while; valve'2l is within control of the operator and operativelyconnected as at '2 with the throttle valve which controls the supply oil-fuelifrom'the'carburetor fi to the engine cylinders. Mounted onthe'valve casing ,22; is an air intake manifold 21 com; municatingwith ports 28 provided in the top'ofsaid valve casing; 22, and having an airIinl'et 29,

The valve casing 22 also has ports fill 1. 1 the bottom thereof, and the ports I9, 28 "and 30" are 7 controlled by the valves '20and' 2 The rotary valve 20 is solid and formed with areuaenana [verse passages 3| and 32-"for;connecti'ng ports 28'within "ports ll and port's |9 with ports 30 under certain conditions and at predetermined intervals. 'Ih'e,valve,2| has'ports,33,34 and 35 adapted to be'simultaneously registered with ports l9, 284a'nd 3Brespectively'or'movedout,of registry with the latter; I '7 'Ar'r'anged ini the air inlet 29 is an aeratin valvejfi under control of a thermostat"?! 'rIe-f ,spons'iv'e to the temperature of the engineas re-V fiect'ed by the cooling system of the latter;

' and air-throttle valve 36'will be closed, and these valves will remain closedor substantially closed' 4(see FigurelO) when the engine is started and running at idling or the relatively lower, speeds; When the throttle valve 25 is opened to cause the engine to run at the relatively higher speeds, the

sleeve valve 2| issimultaneously opened. fAs'soon as the engine becomes heated the air-valve 35 will be opened by thermostat 31', whereuponair f is admitted to manifold 2'|'.' "As each'piston $iap-,

1 preaches the end of its intake stroke,;it uncovers the ports IQ of its cylinder Sand admits a'charge of atmospheric air beneath the fuel charge which has been drawn into said cylinder past its intake valve 9, as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the valve 20 connects portsp28 and I9 through ports 33 and'34jof valve 2| as shown, the chargejo frair entering the, cylinder due to fthe partial vacuum,

On the subsequent compression stroke of the piston, the

' latter closes ports l9, andjlvalve 20 turnsitdaexisting at this time in the cylinder.

position to also close such ports 1 9 as shown a j piston; which follows; the portsj|9 are uncovered by said piston'and connected by valve'2fi with ports 30, partially releasing the pressure 'in the Figured. 'At theend of the power strokeof the cylinder ,by allowing some offthe exhaust gases 1 'to pass outwardly through said valve 29 as shown;

in'Figure 8. The remaining exhaust-gases are then forced out of the cylinder past its exhaust valve HJ'by'the piston during the subsequent ex 7 haust strokeeof'the latter as shown in Figure 9.

1 Obviously, "the ports-39 may leadrto .a -common:

exhaust manifold in a manner similar; to the (36m:-

intake manifolds 21.; a V

munication of air intake passages 2 81with air I To facilitate manufacture, assembly, and repair,-

therotary valve 20 is preferably'composedof a plurality of sections arranged mits enag oae for each cylinder, as showninFigure 4,-each sections of valve 20 are adapted to enter the sockets 39 of the inner sections thereof to axially aline the sections thus interengaged, relative turning of r such sections 'being'prevented by means of longi tudinally extending pins at lll entering a plulrality of alined and relatively smaller sockets in the opposed ends of adjacent sections of said valvei20. The projections 38 of the inner sections of valve 20 are thus'opposed at the inner ends of the latter, and a gear 4| maybe fitted on these opposed projections 38 to providepart of the geare ing23 between the ValVe'ZB a'ndshaft ll, such cgearing'beingcompleted by another gear '42 secured on said shaft H. In order to permitinter- V ,15 a surrounding sleeve valve 2| may be cut away, at It will thus be seen' meshing ofzthe gears 42 at adjacent sides, the

one side as-indicated at 43.

that thesections of valve 2fl are1interchangeab1e L or of similar form so that only one form of valve section is required, to be assembled in plurality to construot the complete valve 25L- While this is a very, simple and efiicient arrangement for driving valve 20, it is obvious that other forms of gearing'may be provided between the cam shaft |3 and valve'2ii. The sleeve valve 2| is closed at having a projecting arm 4% for connection at 24 with the means for manually actuating the throttle valve 25. h r 7 g a "From the foregoing description, it'isbelieved that the construction and operation; as well as the advantages of the present invention wlll'b'e readily understood and; appreciated'fby those skilled in the art. It will be seen that the air for augmenting the normal charges is primarily under control of the operatorv due to' opening of valve 2| when" the throttle .valve 25 isf-opened,

and to closing of valve 2! when throttle valve 25 ditional .air only at the relatively higher engine is closed. 'This insures'admissicn of the ad-,

speeds, preventing admission of suchad'clitional air at the relatively lower; engine speeds when} the throttle valve 5 is closed or nearly clos ed However; the admission of additional air isv also prevented at relatively high engine speed until the engine has become properly, heated and capable of advantageously utilizing the additional air, this being accomplished by theme .of the thermostatically operated 'air control 'valve (36.; 50

in the inlet 29 of air intake manifold ,Z'i. Due

to a slight vacuum'vvhic'hexists in'each cylin-J der at the end of the intake stroke'of the. piston" V V in such'jcylinder, a chargeeo f cool air atj-atmospheric pressure is admitted to the cylinder at, l

that time under the fuel already taken inthrough the conventional fuel intake valve. This has the 1 eliect or filling the cylinder as nearly as possible Without the use of. expensive and complicated superchargers for forcing air' into the cylinders under pressure. Also, on, the exhaust stroke of each piston, the pressure is partially :r-eleased through the rotary valve so as to relieve the con ,v'entional exhaust'valve of much'of its work and lengthening the life of said conventionalexhaust' invention as claimed,

time having an axial projection 38 at oneend and a corresponding axialfrecess or}socket39 at the other end." The projectionsBB of the outer sec- 'Whatl claim' as new is 1." In a fourcycle internal combustion enginaa cylinder, a piston working in said;cylinder;-said,

cylinder having a single port arranged to be uncovered on the inside of the cylinder by said piston at the end of the instroke of said piston, a rotary valve arranged to control said port, on the outside of said cylinder, and mechanism operated by said piston for rotating said valve to admit air at atmospheric pressure through said port to said cylinder directly above and at the end of the intake stroke of the piston, and for permitting partial exhaust of products of combustion through said port from the cylinder at the end of the power stroke of said piston.

2. In a four cycle internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston working in said cylinder, rotary valve mechanism operated by said piston for admitting air at atmospheric pressure to said cylinder directly above and at the end of the intake stroke of the piston and for permitting partial exhaust of products of combustion from the cylinder at the end of the power stroke of said piston, a manually operable valve for controlling the admission of fuel to the cylinder for varying the speed of the engine, and a sleeve valve operatively connected with said fuel control valve for preventing admission of additional air to the cylinder by means of said valve mechanism when said fuel control valve is closed or nearly closed to cause operation of the engine at relatively lower engine speeds, and for permitting admission of the additional air by said valve mechanism when said fuel control valve is opened to cause operation of the engine at the relatively higher engine speeds.

3. In a four cycle internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston working in said cylinder, rotary valve mechanism operated by said piston for admitting air at atmospheric pressure to said cylinder directly above and at the end of the intake stroke of the piston and for permitting partial exhaust of products of combustion from the cylinder at the end of the power stroke of said piston, a manually operable valve for controlling the admission of fuel to the cylinder for varying the speed of the engine, and an oscillatory sleeve valve operatively connected with said fuel control valve for preventing admission of additional air to the cylinder by means of said valve mechanism when said fuel control valve is closed or nearly closed to cause operation of the engine at relatively lower engine speeds and for permitting admission of the additional air by said valve mechanism when said fuel control valve is opened to cause operation of the engine at the relatively higher engine speeds, said valve mechanism including a rotary cylindrical valve journaled in said sleeve valve.

JOSEPH A. HTZLER. 

